Railway container car



Feb. 2o, 1940. w M SHEEHAN 2,191,222

RAILWAY CONTAINER CAR Filed March 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 20, 1940. w. M, SHEEHAN 2,191,222

RAILWAY CONTAINER CAR Filed Maron 15, 1935 2 sheets-sheet` 2 will V59 Patented Feb. 2i), `1940 V UNITED STATES PATENT oEFIc'E RAILWAY CONTAINER CAE Application March 15, 1935, Serial No. 11,290

2 Claims.

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to container cars in which a carrier, resembling an ordinary at car, mounts a plurality of containers which may be loaded 5 at the consignors, hauled by truck to the railway carrier and placed thereon for shipment to destination, and then unloaded from the carrier to truck, if necessary, for delivery to the consignee.

Container cars have been grouped roughly inv two classes: rst, that which requires cranes, lift trucks, ramp tracks, or other special equipment wherever the container is to be transferred to or from the carrier; and second, that where the container may be moved horizontally onto and off of the carrier withoutl necessitating such special equipment.

The present invention includes features applicable to both types of container cars but particularly relates tothe latter class.

One of the objects of the invention is to construct the carriers and containers so that transfer between trucks, carriers, and platforms, or the like, will be facilitated thereby increasing the utility of the container car and enabling the railroad service to be extended at either end of the haul so as to furnish a more complete and faster service between the consignor and consignee than is practical with present railway practice where merchandise in bulk or in manually handled packages is loaded or unloaded at the ends of the car haul.`

Another object of the invention is to protect the containers and the lading therein against shocks while in transit on the railway, and particularly to afford protection in addition to the usual draft gear against those shocks arising from longitudinal forces such as buillng, draft, and braking forces which apparently are necessarily incidental to train operations. With the present invention. the contents of the containers can be shipped with the same freedom from damage which may be expected where the entire movement from consignor to consignee is made in a single highway motor vehicle carried on rubber tires.

These and other detail objects of the invention as will appear from the following description `are attained by the structures shown in the acv ompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of a part of a carrier drame embodying one form of the invention. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1 with containers positioned 5s thereon.

Figure 3 is, in part, an end view and, in part, a transverse vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l.

c Figure 4 is a detail vertical longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1. 5 Figure 5 is a similar section through a modified bumng device.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic plan view showing 10 an assembly of containers and a carrier differing from that indicated in Figure 2.

The carrier frame shown in Figures 1-4 includes longitudinal draft sills 35 and iish belly side sills 36 extending from end to end of the 15 carrier and connected by end sills, bolsters and by transoms as indicated at38. The frame is carried by a oor plate P' apertured to receive the upwardly projecting portions of rollers 31 journaled in pockets formed at the intersection 20 of transoms 38 and side sills 36. Box-like containers are indicated at C and project laterally beyond the sides of the frame. Each container is provided with a pair of skids 39 preferably consisting of I-section steel beams having crimps 25 40 in their lower faces arranged to overlie rollers 31 when the carriers are in their normal positions and thus permitting the skids to rest directly upon the carrier floor. The containers include abutting elements 4i by which thrusts may 30 be transmitted between adjacent containers and the containers are lockedtogether by coupling links 42. v

An individual shock absorbing mechanism is provided for each container. A horizontal plate 35 45 is removably bolted to the lower flangesof the frame center structure and a yoke-like housing 4B is slidable on plate- 45 and projects upwardly above the top of the carrier frame where it is shaped to receive skids 39 endwise as 40 indicated in Figure 9. The ends of skids 39 may be tapered, as indicated at 41 (Figure 1), to facilitate entrance of same into the opening provided therefor in housing 46 and this will serve to guide the container intoposition. Clearance 45 between the skid and housing accommodates the passage through the latter of the crimp 40.

Follower plates 48 extend transversely of each end of housing 46 and beyond`the same so as to engage with stops 49 on the frame center 50 structure. A spring 50 is compressed between followers 48, and the combination of stops 49, followers 48, and springs 5l! yieldingly resist movement of the housing,skid 39, and the container longitudinally of the car. By inserting keys ll through the housing and skid and by providing the frame with lips l! overlapping the housing 4I, .the container will be held against movement transversely of the carrier. or upwardly therefrom. f

When a series of containers are assembled on the carrier, bufnng shocks will be transmitted from container to container and all of the shock absorbing mechanisms will cooperate. By coupling the containers together, as indicated at I2 and Il, this cooperation will be accentuated as the containers will move as a unit longitudinally of the car and in this way the movement of the heavier containers, or containers which for any other reason tend to move farther than adjacent containers. will have their movement resisted by the shock absorbing mechanism of all the containers.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modincation of the individual shock absorbing mechanism in which a plurality of springs Il are compressed between followers 56 in a housing 51 functioning similarly to that previously described, but the container skids Il are U-shaped pressings engaged by-upstanding ears I9 on the housings i1 to yieldingly resist longitudinal movement of the containers along the carrier. 'I'he ears I9 do not overlie any part oi' the skid to prevent upward movement of the container relative to the carrier, but pins P through ears 5l and the skids will produce the same result.

'Ihe opposing faces of ears 59 are curved (see Figure 6) to form diverging end portions' for better receiving and guiding the skids I8 as they enter between the ears.

Figures 1 and 2 indicate the preferred arrangement of a shock absorbing device under each container. Figure '1 indicates another arrangement in which'shock absorbing devices 1D are provided for alternate containers C only. 'I'he intermediate containers C2 provide cooperation of the shock absorbing devices whereby all of the containers and their shock absorbing devices -mayactasaunit In all forms of'the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to '1, -the container will project outwardly a substantial distance transversely of the carrier, and trucks or other container receiving equipment may project under the outer portion of the container before the latter is moved ,from its' normal travelling position on the carrier. 'I'his will facilitate loading and unloading of the containers onto and oi! of the carrier. 'I'his construction also makes possible reducing the weight of the carrier structure, which would effect a substantial economy in the nrst cost and operation of container cars.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide containers with individual rollers whereby the container may be moved over platforms and car ilooraymountingtherollersonthecarrier frame instead of on the containers, a simpler container structure is obtained and there is a large reduction in the number of roller units required for a given system. 'I'here is an additional advantage in that the carriers are subject to inspection control by governmental and railroad regulations which are directed towards the continuous usefulness and emciency of the railway vehicle. Also dropping of the containers, or other rough handling by inexperienced or negligent and irresponsible hands, will not result in injury to the rollers as would follow the mounting of the rollers on the containers.

In all forms of the invention, the containers and shock absorbing mechanisms are constructed and assembled so that the entire series of containers may move as a unit longitudinally of the carrier, and such movement will be spring resisted on the carrier whereby longitudinal'forces arising from operation of the container car will be distributed equally to the containers and will be dissipated to a greater extent than is provided by the usual draft gear, thus protecting the container contents against the hazards of transportation. 'I'he arrangements shown in Figures 1 to rl permit individual containers and shock absorbing mechanisms to function eifectively even though the continuity of the series is broken by the removal of one or more containers.

Many modications other than those shown may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of all such modincations coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. In combination, a carrier, a plurality of containers thereon, and individual spring buil'ers between each of said containers and said carrier to yieldingly resist movement of each of the containers along the carrier, said containers being supported on said carrier independently of said buffer devices, and means for rigidly interconnecting said containers so that all of said buffers operate in unison.

2. In combination, a railway carrier, having an underframe, rollers journaled on said underframe with their axes disposed longitudinally of the carrier and with their upper portions projecting slightly above the top of said underframe, a plurality of containers having beams extending transversely of and resting on said underframe and alined with said rollers and disposed to ride upon1the same when said containers and beams are'. shifted transversely of said underframe, means for rigidly interconnecting said containers so that they move as a unit longitudinally of said underframe, and individual spring buffers between each of said containers and said underframe, said containers being lsupported on said underframe independently of said spring buffers.

WILLIAM M. SHIEHAN. 

